Hospital Waiting Rooms
by D Willims
Summary: Shikamaru's sanity was always a very fragile thing. Sakura, Shikamaru friendship. 2 of 5.
1. I

**Disclaimer: I don't own the **_**Naruto**_** universe.****  
Characters: Sakura, Shikamaru  
Summary: Shikamaru's sanity was always a very tenuous thing.  
Rating: T****  
A/N: This is part of a project involving the Rookie Nine and random events of their life, more information can be found on my author's page.  
A/N2: Reworked so that it could be continued.**

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Hospital Waiting Rooms: I**

Shikamaru was constantly one gentle shove away from falling off the metaphorical cliff. Caught up in his own guilt. A gifted mission leader, a brilliant tactician, who had survived more suicide missions than the average ninja. His teammates hadn't always—and Shikamaru was the kind of person who beat himself up if his teammates got even the simplest of injuries.

Sakura wasn't surprised to find him in the ICU waiting room. She'd even stolen him a hospital blanket and brought a first aid kit.

She strode across the room briskly, dumping the blanket over his thin shoulders before dropping to her knees in front of him. "Who was it this time?" she asked quietly.

Her fingers worked quickly as she waited for his answer, taking inventory of the relatively minor injuries. A skinned knee, nicks and cuts on his hands, a sprained wrist. Nothing worth hospitalization.

"ANBU rookie," he grumbled, as if it was all too troublesome. Shikamaru offered a lazy shrug, as if to say he couldn't be bothered to remember the name. Sakura pretended not to notice the way he curled the blanket around himself a little more, though.

"Ah," she felt just awful for being _grateful_ it wasn't anyone Shikamaru really knew. But, he was less likely to snap when it was strangers. And Sakura preferred him unsnapped, in all honesty.

They lapsed into silence as Sakura continued to work. She frowned to herself at the lack of real response from him, though. Not even a flinch when she prodded his swollen wrist harder than strictly necessary under the guise of making sure it wasn't broken.

She slipped the last bandage into place and stood. "I recommend plenty of rest and work at the Academy," she even wrote the prescription for him. "At least a few months' worth."

It wasn't necessary for his physical health, and they both knew it. But Shikamaru wasn't the type to question medics (a fear bred by people like Ino and Tsunade who were liable to add to the damage, Sakura told herself).

His long fingers folded the prescription carefully and tucked it into his vest pocket. Then he curled oddly catlike up on the bench, injured wrist tucked in a protective pocket between his belly and his knees. Ready to wait out this night's long vigil.

Sakura huffed in annoyance (sleeping in a _waiting room_ was not what she meant by "rest") and tucked the blanket tighter around him before making herself comfortable on the floor in front of him. Determined to wait this out with him.


	2. II

**Disclaimer: I don't own the **_**Naruto**_** universe.**  
**Characters: Sakura, Shikamaru  
Summary: Shikamaru's sanity was always a very tenuous thing.  
Rating: T**

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****Hospital Waiting Rooms: II**

"You didn't have to come back." There was a faint air of gratitude about Shikamaru, though, as he folded long fingers around the cup of coffee Sakura held out to him. "I'm sure you have better things to do."

Sakura shrugged and settled back into her spot on the floor in front of him. Tried to play it off as if she wasn't worried about him. "It's my day off, and I can't think of a better place to spend it than the hospital." She shrugged again and took a sip of her own coffee, winced. "Besides, who else would treat you to the wonders of the medics' lounge coffee?"

"Troublesome," he said. Almost as if he was back to normal.

"I could always take my coffee and go," she threatened playfully. She knew she wouldn't be leaving his side today, of course. Maybe not even tomorrow. Not until she reeled him back from the edge of the proverbial cliff.

The Nara clicked his tongue against his teeth, rolled his eyes. He didn't believe her, but he clutched his coffee cup a little tighter anyway.

Long moments of silence stretched between them. The silence was some odd mixture of comforting, familiar, and awkward.

Shikamaru sat upright, though he kept the thin hospital-issue blanket around his shoulders. His hands were draped on his knees, the coffee cup clasped between them. And he was staring intently at the cup, or maybe just at the all-too familiar hospital floor. Sakura pulled her knees to her chest and draped her free arm around her shins. She sipped at her coffee as she watched him for any sign of breakage.

Shikamaru finally broke the silence. "Did you hear anything about…?" he let the question trail off. Sakura knew what he was talking about, anyway.

"I ran into his doctor in the lounge," she worded it carefully. "He's going to be okay." It was a _lie_; it was a carefully constructed code. The rookie would live, but he'd never be a ninja again. And he'd never be _okay_ again.

"Oh," Shikamaru said, faintly. There was slippage. Sakura could see Shikamaru's carefully constructed mask falter, just a little. The corners of his lips twitched, as if he was going to say something. Or maybe to scream.

She almost wished she'd gone with her first instinct and lied through her teeth. But that wouldn't be any better, really. It might have even hurt worse.

After a long moment, Shikamaru stood. "I need a smoke."

Sakura climbed to her feet as well. Carefully, she threaded her arm around his shoulders, let him lean into her. "I'll walk you home."


End file.
